WITTERINGS -
FANTASY BOB'S CASUAL OBSERVATIONS ON CARLTON, CRICKET, LIFE AND ALL THAT OTHER STUFF

Sunday, 20 March 2011

A national symbol

Fantasy Bob has noticed that Utah has become the first US state to designate an official state firearm. The Browning M1911 handgun joins the state fossil (allosaurus), fruit (cherry), gem (topaz), bird (sea gull) and other symbols with official designation. FB is unsure why the seagull is the official bird of Utah a state he recalls as being nearly 1000 miles from the sea. No doubt there is some made up historical reason to do with the Mormons or the native Americans or both.

Is this decision further confirmation of the great cultural divide between the US and Great Britain? The advocates of this designation say that the firearm symbolises freedom and empowerment - which seems to FB all to depend on what end of the barrel you are standing. FB has never faced the business end of any firearm but he imagines it is a less than empowering experience. He attributes this disturbing obsession with guns in the USA almost entirely to the nation turning its back on cricket shortly after the American Revolution.

However he will not let this strange decison depress him - instead he will seek inspriation from it.

Elections for the Scottish Parliament are about to get underway. Scotland may have an official plant (thistle), and offficial gemstone (cairngorm aka smoky quartz) and an official bird (not Jackie but the golden eagle). But so far it has lacked an official weapn. For such a bellicose nation, this is a lamentable oversight. This must be put right as a matter of priority. He will therefore challenge all candidates in the coming election to support his petition to adopt as the official weapon of Scotland FB's cricket bat of choice the Gray Nicolls Nitro. This weapon is a true symbol of freedom and empowerment.